Shows
Behind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsFrom Short Stories to Family SagasContributor Alex Richey joins Behind the Mic host Jo Reed to talk about three fantastical audiobooks and how their different forms shape the listening experience. The conversation moves from Brandon Sanderson’s
story collection Tailored Realities to two intergenerational stories
centered on daughters—Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite and As
Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel—where voice and perspective carry particular emotional weight. As Alex observes, these audiobooks
demonstrate how narration can enhance both broad narrative structures and more focused, character-driven works.
Books Discussed:
Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson, read by
Dion Graham, Januar...
2026-01-1524 min
Behind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsInterview with Greta Jung: Best Young Adult Audiobooks 2025Narrator Greta Jung joins host Jo Reed to discuss narrating ALL THE TOMORROWS AFTER by Joanne Yi, one of AudioFile’s picks for Best Young Adult Audiobooks of 2025. Greta discusses her connection to the Korean language and her own childhood, both of which helped her deliver an impactful, emotional performance. Jo and Greta also talk about the importance of stories that are especially resonant for children and teen listeners.
Read AudioFile’s review of the audiobook
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio
AudioFile’s 2025 Best Young Adult Audiobooks are:
AMONG GHOSTS by Rachel...
2025-12-2612 min
What's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.10 - Reed LavoyThe bunker's secrets are finally being unlocked. With no guests willing to come onto the radio show, Jethro and J1 decide it is finally time to ask Reed about his 11 years working under Tony (praise-unto-Tony) Biscotti. And with the co-hosts calling the shots, they might just get some answers.Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreeneProduced by Sam Kruger, Peter Roumeliotis, & Matthew Greene. Reach the podcast at whatsupdesolatewasteland.com Find us on social media at linktr.ee/wudw All WUDW...
2025-10-0837 minWhat's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.09 - Augustus Shield ReturnsThe voice of the people is here! Leader of the Purehearts, champion of the wasteland, hater of zombies, Augustus Shield is here to talk politics, blade safety, and head-chopping etiquette. And if a certain someone in New New San Francisco doesn’t like it… well, that’s his problem. Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreeneAugustus Shield: Andre Leben[REDACTED]: Sarah NorrisProduced by Sam Kruger, Peter Roumeliotis, & Matthew Greene. Reach the podcast at whatsupdesolatewasteland.com Find us on social media a...
2025-10-0131 minWhat's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.08 - Peach PitAnd we're back! After last week’s eventful trip up to New New San Francisco, the gang returns to the Sheriff Shack to welcome Peach Pit, who is here to pitch an exciting relocation opportunity... to Portland! Between the sidewalk suppers, the crowd-pleasing entertainment, and the wall-to-wall living, who wouldn't be tempted?And, of course, What's Up, Desolate Wasteland? is honored to be a part of the Society of Goodness Broadcast Initiative. Stay good!Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreenePeach Pit: Marlena Westley...
2025-09-2432 minWhat's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.07 - Walter Braun & Shirley Ann JacobsToday marks an exceptional moment for public radio! Reed, Jethro, and J1 have the once-in-a-lifetime privilege of speaking with the magnificent, wise, and unquestionably benevolent leader of the Society of Goodness, Walter Braun, along with his equally esteemed deputy secretary, Shirley Ann Jacobs. It’s all perfectly safe, provided that the laser sharks stay in a good mood.Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreeneWalter Braun: Alfred SpielmannShirley Ann Jacobs: Sarah NorrisProduced by Sam Kruger, Peter Roumeliotis, & Matthew Greene. Reach th...
2025-09-1730 minWhat's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.06 - Happy Crater Day!Another year older, and the crater’s still kicking. The gang skips the usual guests for a live Q&A and some well-earned gift opening. It should be a nice and relaxing episode ...as long as nobody interrupts. Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreeneBonesaw Jr.: William YapShirley Ann Jacobs: Sarah NorrisProduced by Sam Kruger, Peter Roumeliotis, & Matthew Greene. Reach the podcast at whatsupdesolatewasteland.com Find us on social media at linktr.ee/wudw All WUDW art...
2025-09-1032 minWhat's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.05 - Dominic Shine & Steely DanThis interview gets a bit too personal. Dominic Shine and Steely Dan, a traveling duo with strong opinions on how to repopulate the planet, have a shared taste for the dramatic. While J1 and Steely bond over their glory days, and Jethro and Dominic reminisce over classic movies, Reed is just trying to keep the conversation somewhere between family-friendly and non-lethal.Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreeneDominic Shine: Erik PedersenSteely Dan: Stephen SherwoodProduced by Sam Kruger, Peter Roumeliotis, & Matthew Greene.
2025-09-0331 minWhat's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.04 - Augustus ShieldA very special guest joins the radio show! The much beloved (and very handsome) leader of the Purehearts, Augustus Shield himself, sits down with Reed, Jethro, and J1 to discuss love, marriage, neighborly advice, and just what is going on with the government of New New San Francisco. Who knew affordable housing could be so deadly?Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreeneAugustus Shield: Andre LebenProduced by Sam Kruger, Peter Roumeliotis, & Matthew Greene. Reach the podcast at whatsupdesolatewasteland.com Find...
2025-08-2729 minWhat's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.03 - Shauna Macaw & Brother FungusThis episode's for the birds. The Holy Cadillac has pulled up to the Sheriff Shack, and Reed, Jethro, and J1 are sitting down to interview its drivers. One's got their head in the clouds, and the other is on a mission from the King himself. Reed’s pretty sure one of them is in a cult. The others have their own theories. Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreeneShauna Macaw: Lauren AckerlyBrother Fungus: Monty EichProduced by Sam Kruger, Peter Roumeliotis, & Matthew Greene....
2025-08-2034 minWhat's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.02 - JQ Mannix (and Cherry)The radio show is back for another week! Jethro and J1 are on the mic again (payment, apparently, for letting Reed record in their home), and together, the trio tracked down a new guest: JQ, a sullen Crater View resident with... well, more than just a chip on his shoulder. Something’s going on, and Reed intends to figure out what.Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreeneJQ Mannix: Seth CardinalCherry: Marta ChernovaProduced by Sam Kruger, Peter Roumeliotis, & Matthew Greene. Re...
2025-08-1328 minWhat's Up, Desolate Wasteland?1.01 - Jethro Robichaux & J1Three-and-a-half days ago, Reed Lavoy stepped out of his doomsday bunker after 11 years underground to greet the apocalyptic wastelands of the after-times. After wandering around Crater View, he found two-headed birds, loitering rapscallions, and the first two guests for his radio show: Jethro Robichaux, the unofficial and aspiring sheriff of the Bay Area, and J1, an android with a killer smile. Time to figure out just what the hell is going on up here.Credits:Reed Lavoy: Sam KrugerJethro Robichaux: Peter RoumeliotisJ1: Matthew GreeneProduced by Sam Kruger, Peter Roumeliotis...
2025-08-1323 min
Behind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsUNDER THE SAME STARS by Libba Bray, read by January LaVoy, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Major CurdaHost Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss how a trio of narrators portray teens from different eras and settings: from Hanna and Sophie, two Polish teens, in 1939, to 1980 West Berlin, where Jenny adjusts to her family’s move from Dallas, to Brooklynite Miles, who solves the mysterious disappearances of two girls sixty years earlier. Narrators January LaVoy, Jeremy Carlisle Parker, and Major Curda heighten their performances as the story’s tension increases and connections become clear. Read our review of the audiobook at our websitePublished by Macmill...
2025-04-1408 min
Behind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsTHE AMEN CORNER by James Baldwin, read by Myra Lucretia Taylor, Dion Graham, January LaVoy, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Janina Edwards, Aaron Goodson, Angel Pean, Shayna Small, Robin Miles, Dominic Hoffman, JD Jackson, Adenrele OjoJames Baldiwn’s three-act play about the power of religion to shield people from the outside world has a cast that is quirky, protective, gossipy, dogmatic, and spirited. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this full cast performance that honors Baldiwn’s narrative and enhances it by capturing the intensity and emotions of the play. This is a story of the highs and lows of passionate people who are trying to survive the best way they can. Read our review of the audiobook at our website. Published by Random House Audio.
2024-09-2307 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsIT HAD TO BE YOU by Mary Higgins Clark, Alafair Burke, read by January LaVoyIn the last of the Under Suspicion audiobooks, Golden Voice January LaVoy introduces listeners to the perfect family: Sara Richard Harrington and their twin sons. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss this audiobook that begins with a flashback to the eve of the twins’ college graduation party. Before the party ends, Sara and Richard are shot to death, and the twins are suspects—but never charged. Now, Laurie Moran decides to investigate. This tightly plotted whodunit lends itself to LaVoy’s style and impeccable timing. Fans will not want to miss this last series installment and LaVoy’s...
2024-07-0408 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsTHE WARM HANDS OF GHOSTS by Katherine Arden, read by Michael Crouch, January LaVoy, Katherine ArdenJanuary LaVoy and Michael Crouch perform Katherine Arden’s historical novel with a supernatural twist. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss one of the must-listen audiobooks of the season. LaVoy delivers the perspective of Laura, a nurse who has recently returned from a WWI battlefield to her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Crouch narrates as Laura’s brother, Freddie, a young soldier who has gone missing in Belgium. LaVoy conveys all of Laura's anguish when she receives word that her brother is missing. Crouch captures Freddie’s long hours trekking through the mud, shell-shocked and beyond all hope...
2024-03-2708 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsTHE BOOK OF LOVE by Kelly Link, read by January LaVoyJanuary LaVoy performs this epic story of three teenagers who are brought back from the dead just long enough to compete in a mysterious game to see who gets to continue to live. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this debut novel by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link, who is better known for her short story collections. Here, Laura, Daniel, and Mo find themselves back in Lovesend, Massachusetts, one year after they died. LaVoy captures whimsy and darkness in equal measure, spinning this fairytale-like story into an engrossing audiobook.Read the full review of th...
2024-03-2507 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsWITH A KISS WE DIE by L.R. Dorn, read by Thérèse Plummer, January LaVoy, et al.Thérèse Plummer leads a full cast with her captivating performance as true-crime podcast host Ryanna Raines. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Michele Cobb discuss this audiobook that is meant to be heard. It’s the story of a podcaster, Ryanna, who is contacted by a pair of UC Santa Barbara theater students who are suspected of murder and want to tell their story. What follows is a twisty psychological thriller. It plays out like a true-crime podcast with interviews, recaps, potent details, and a dark story. The impressive group of narrators includes current UCSB acting students.R...
2023-11-0107 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsTHE VASTER WILDS by Lauren Groff, read by January LaVoyJanuary LaVoy gives a breathtaking narration of an astonishing historical novel from Lauren Groff. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss this story set in 1609 that starts with a servant girl fleeing from a failing colony into the forest. What follows is a dramatic, beautifully wrought story of survival, narrated with precision, emotion, and a keen sense of the story. LaVoy puts care into every word she narrates as the girl struggles through the wilds, heightening the joy of discovering any small sustenance, her determination to go on, and the many terrors she leaves behind. A propulsive an...
2023-09-1807 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsFLAGS ON THE BAYOU by James Lee Burke, read by MacLeod Andrews, Michael Crouch, Dana Gourrier, Marin Ireland, January LaVoy, Ray Porter, James Lee Burke [Epilogue]A series of introspective monologues is brought vividly to life in six stellar performances. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten talk about this collection of reflective first-person monologues by soldiers, slave owners, and free and enslaved women. The setting is Louisiana during the late days of the Civil War, and the narrators portray all manner of humanity, delivering deeply felt first-person stories that neatly intertwine. Author James Lee Burke delivers his introduction and epilogue. A reminder of the disastrous results that once arose in a divided nation.Read the full review of the audiobook on Au...
2023-07-1807 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsRED HOOD by Elana K. Arnold, read by January LaVoyJanuary LaVoy’s narration creates a visceral world for Elana K. Arnold’s feminist Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss how the second person point of view can be distancing, but LaVoy’s skilled narration draws listeners right in. Bisou is a 16-year-old who gains incredible powers once she gets her first period—powers that help her face down werewolves. LaVoy’s delivery makes the tension palpable as Bisou fights to save her own life and protect her community and works to understand her grandmother’s dark secrets. January LaVoy shares about narratin...
2023-06-2908 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsEVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END by C.L. Polk, read by January LaVoyGolden Voice narrator January LaVoy’s captivating talents are on full display as she narrates a romantic, fantastical noir mystery. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Emily Connelly discuss the joy of hearing January narrate ANY audiobook, especially one as enchanting as C.L. Polk’s newest fantasy. All Helen Brandt wants to do is wrap up an easy magical investigation and go out dancing with her girl in the few days she has left before her soul is claimed by a demon. But the case is more complicated than it seems on the surface, as is everything in this t...
2022-11-0806 min
Connect to Best-Selling Audiobooks in High QualityHotel California: An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories (By Don Bruns)Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/575757 to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Hotel California: An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories
Series: Part of The Music and Murder Mystery Series
Author: Don Bruns
Narrator: Joe Hempel, Sophie Amoss, James Patrick Cronin, January LaVoy, Joe Barrett, Hillary Huber, Richard Ferrone, Scott Brick
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hours 55 minutes
Release date: July 12, 2022
Ratings: Ratings of Book: 3.33 of Total 18
Ratings of Narrator: 3.8 of Total 5
Genres: Suspense
Publisher's Summary: Featuring a new Jack Reacher story by Andrew Child! A dangerous drifter, a hired gun, a g...
2022-07-127h 55
Don’t Miss The Most Spellbinding Full Audiobook Today!Hotel California by Don BrunsPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/137289to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Hotel California
Series: The Music and Murder Mystery Series, Book 1
Author: Don Bruns
Narrator: Richard Ferrone, Hillary Huber, James Patrick Cronin, January LaVoy, Joe Barrett, Sophie Amoss, Joe Hempel, Scott Brick
Format: mp3
Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
Release date: 07-12-22
Ratings: 4 out of 5 stars, 32 ratings
Genres: Anthologies
Publisher's Summary:
Eight deliciously talented mystery authors have lent their skills of crafting murder and suspense to this collection of gripping short stories. Each of these eight provocative tales is designed to entertain and mystify—and maybe even chill you to yo...
2022-07-127h 54
Access Essential Audiobooks in Mystery, Thriller & Horror, SuspenseHotel California: An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories by Don BrunsPlease visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/575757 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Hotel California: An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories Series: Part of The Music and Murder Mystery Series Author: Don Bruns Narrator: Joe Hempel, Sophie Amoss, James Patrick Cronin, January LaVoy, Joe Barrett, Hillary Huber, Richard Ferrone, Scott Brick Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 7 hours 55 minutes Release date: July 12, 2022 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 3.33 of Total 18 Ratings of Narrator: 3.8 of Total 5 Genres: Suspense Publisher's Summary: Featuring a new Jack Reacher story by Andrew Child! A dangerous drifter, a hired gun, a grisly corpse—you never know who you’ll run into...
2022-07-1203 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsTHE CHERRY ROBBERS by Sarai Walker, read by January LaVoyJanuary LaVoy narrates Sarai Walker’s chilling audiobook complete with ghosts, madness, and secrets. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Sandi Henschel discuss Golden Voice narrator LaVoy’s skill at delivering fully developed characters and creating the perfect ambiance for this gothic novel. LaVoy channels Sylvia Wren, a world-famous, reclusive Arizona artist. Currently, she’s being hounded by a journalist who’s threatening to reveal her real identity: She is the heiress to the Chapel Firearms fortune, Iris Chapel. One-upping the reporter, Sylvia writes her own memoir, offering a disturbing look at her childhood. LaVoy navigates the backstory smoothly, becoming each of th...
2022-06-1406 minBehind the Mic With Kirkus ReviewsNEVER by Ken Follett, read by January LaVoyJanuary LaVoy narrates Ken Follett’s epic novel packed with interconnected plots and political intrigue. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Robin Whitten discuss LaVoy’s skill capturing the voice of each character, keeping listeners engaged and attuned to the story. It’s a cautionary tale that strikes on a visceral level as global misunderstandings snowball into the threat of nuclear war. Listeners will be riveted as the unimaginable becomes possible, and LaVoy’s narration becomes unpausable.Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.comSupport for Behind the M...
2022-01-1306 min
Access Top-Rated Full Audiobooks in Mystery, Thriller & Horror, EspionageThe Operator by Kim HarrisonPlease visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/279210 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Operator Series: #2 of The Peri Reed Chronicles Author: Kim Harrison Narrator: January LaVoy Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 15 hours 38 minutes Release date: November 22, 2016 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 3.8 of Total 5 Genres: Espionage Publisher's Summary: On-the-run ex-agent Peri Reed returns bigger and bolder than ever in this second highly-anticipated installment in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison's new suspense trilogy, The Peri Reed Chronicles. Peri Reed’s job eats her mind, but for a special task agent in hiding, forgetting the past can be a blessing. Betrayed by the man...
2016-11-2203 min
Best Full-Length Audiobooks in Romance, MysteryThe Operator by Kim HarrisonPlease visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/279210 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Operator Series: #2 of The Peri Reed Chronicles Author: Kim Harrison Narrator: January LaVoy Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 15 hours 38 minutes Release date: November 22, 2016 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 3.8 of Total 5 Genres: Mystery Publisher's Summary: On-the-run ex-agent Peri Reed returns bigger and bolder than ever in this second highly-anticipated installment in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison's new suspense trilogy, The Peri Reed Chronicles. Peri Reed’s job eats her mind, but for a special task agent in hiding, forgetting the past can be a blessing. Betrayed by the man...
2016-11-2203 min
Listen to Trending Full Audiobooks in Romance, RomantasyThe Drafter by Kim HarrisonPlease visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/241728 to listen full audiobooks. Title: The Drafter Series: #1 of The Peri Reed Chronicles Author: Kim Harrison Narrator: January LaVoy Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 15 hours 46 minutes Release date: September 1, 2015 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 3.88 of Total 17 Ratings of Narrator: 4.17 of Total 6 Genres: Romantasy Publisher's Summary: The Bourne Identity meets Minority Report in this “truly wild ride” (RT Book Reviews) set in a futuristic Detroit—the first in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison’s Peri Reed Chronicles. Peri Reed is a Drafter—a special ops agent with the unique ability to jump back forty seconds in...
2015-09-0103 min
Listen to Trending Full Audiobooks in Romance, RomantasySideswiped by Kim HarrisonPlease visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/241702 to listen full audiobooks. Title: Sideswiped Author: Kim Harrison Narrator: January LaVoy Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 2 hours 45 minutes Release date: August 10, 2015 Ratings: Ratings of Book: 3.67 of Total 3 Genres: Romantasy Publisher's Summary: BONUS MATERIAL: INCLUDES THE PROLOGUE AND FIRST CHAPTER OF THE DRAFTER, THE FIRST NOVEL IN KIM HARRISON’S NEW SERIES! Don’t miss this thrilling first look into the elite world of Peri Reed, government agency operative extraordinaire, and catch more of her character in The Drafter, the first book in the all-new suspense trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harr...
2015-08-1003 min